» Brit man cleared of attack on woman because he suffers from 'sexsomnia'

Brit man cleared of attack on woman because he suffers from 'sexsomnia'

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Mamatha

Posted By: Mamatha

Published: Friday, October 29, 2010, 14:00 [IST]

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London, Oct 29 (ANI): A Brit man has been cleared of sexually assaulting a woman because he suffers from a rare medical condition called 'sexsomnia'.

The condition caused window fitter Darren Greenwood to be sexually active while he was asleep, a jury was told, reports the Daily Express.

Greenwood, 33, walked free from Chelmsford Crown Court, Essex, after his bizarre defence won the backing of medical experts.

Experts told the court during the four-day trial that Greenwood was "a good example of sexsomnia" because he had "no knowledge or voluntary control of his actions".

He had pleaded not guilty to assault by penetration and sexual assault on a 21-year-old woman who had agreed to him getting into bed with her.

The incident took place at a house in Loughton, Essex, where Greenwood was living. The woman was one of a group who arrived there after a night out.

Prosecutor Richard Potts said that at the time of the alleged incident she was asleep and could not have consented. He told jurors that Greenwood had allowed her to sleep in his bed and she had said it was okay for him to get into bed with her.

"It's likely to be rare and under-reported because of the embarrassment. It mostly occurs between partners and involves sex. It usually occurs with a person in bed," Sexsomnia expert Professor Matthew Walker told the jury.

Quizzed in court Mr Greenwood said: "The only reasonable scenario is something occurred in my sleep because something happened."

Previously he had suffered in the past from "parasomnia" which involved sitting up in bed and punching a wall.

But he added: "I have never before or since had an incident of sexsomnia."